Here are proven ways to torch extra calories throughout the day brought to you by Dr. Len Kravitz, a fitness and health researcher who teaches at University of New Mexico. I met Dr. Kravitz at a conference and he has a passion for evidenced based research and sharing the knowledge. I recently took his course on weight-loss and fat metabolism for continuing education, and here is just some of what I learned.
Dr. Kravitz’s 10 tips to burn more calories daily.
- For every 30 minutes you are awake during day and evening -if you are seated or lying down, get up and move for 5 minutes.
- Walk more briskly. So, if you tend to stroll, pick up the pace. (See bonus longevity benefits for this increase in pace in Dr. Mirkin’s article below).
- Try 30/60 second interval walking, running, biking and swimming. Warm up 5-10 minutes, then speed up for 30 seconds to a challenging pace, then recover for 60 seconds. Repeat for 10 rounds, then cool down for 5 minutes. As you get fitter, try 30/30 intervals.
- Move a little after you hydrate. I know, sounds odd. But he says there is proof it works!
- Track your steps. In one study it boosted activity by 26.9%.
- At the gym use a multimode approach within a session. Example: 10 minutes on treadmill, 10 minutes cycling, 10 minutes on the rowing machine.
- Use a weighted vest of 10% of bodyweight when walking. Make sure weight in vest is evenly distibuted so you dont impair posture.
- Workout for 30 continuous minutes M, W, and F using different modes of exercise at a challenging pace.
- Circuit train with weights, body weight, or moving station to station. The key for bonus calorie burn is moving from upper to lower body in each circuit, with little to no rest per circuit. Example with bodyweight: 12 reps of push ups, lunges, plank pike, squats and dips, repeat 5 times.
- Do high intensity interval training (HIIT) three times a week.
This workout below can be used on any fit machine, outside walking or running, biking, swimming, paddling, even in a hand powered wheelchair! Try it.
5-10 minute warm up. Alternate four minute bouts of high effort (RPE 16-17, hard) with three minutes of recovery (RPE 11-12, light). Repeat 9-10 times. 5-10 minute cool down.
To sum it? We have to shake things up to keep our bodies guessing. Mix up variables, intensities and sequences weekly challenges the body, and also limits boredom so we we can have more fun.
If you have any questions about these tips, let me know. Of course, if you have been inactive or recovering from an injury, start slowly and/or check with your doctor.
Virtual Athlete, LLC. 